Classic Lancia Delta Crashes At Turin Motor Show

People are shocked after footage dropped of a classic Lancia Delta crashing into the crowd at the Turin Motor Show on October 13. It’s the sort of thing those who don’t pay close attention to racing think only happens at Cars and Coffee meets but is caused by a factor present even in classic race cars.

Watch classic AC Cobras and a Jaguar E-Type battle it out on the track.

That factor is, of course, torque steer. The Lancia driver gets on the throttle after two modern Ferraris traveling in front of it do the same. Crowds come to these sorts of events to see these dream cars send it, so before anyone criticizes the driver just understand this is a common thing to do and it normally doesn’t have this kind of outcome.

Wearing iconic Martini livery, the Delta revs its engine a few times before the driver hits it as the crowd, which lines both sides of the street behind dinky metal barriers, looks on with anticipation.

At first, the car goes straight as an arrow, the engine and exhaust both singing. Then it abruptly pulls right, impacting the barrier and the people behind it at almost a 90 degree angle. Yes, we’ve seen Mustangs do this sort of thing, but we’ve also seen it from Ferraris, Corvettes, BMWs, and any number of other rear-wheel-drive performance vehicles.

According to ANSA’s English edition, 12 people were injured, but all of them suffering only minor cuts and bruises. However, the report does mention a woman was transported to the hospital with a suspected broken leg. Although if that’s the worst of the crash, it shows the driver was able to get on the brakes and mitigate the seriousness of the collision.

Good drivers have excellent reactions. While this one didn’t anticipate torque steer, he at least didn’t plow into the crowd at speed or this would’ve been a much worse incident.

Image via Rally Time/YouTube